PBKS vs RCB: "Lots of disappointment" - Sam Curran apologizes to fans as Punjab Kings get eliminated from IPL 2024

Sam Curran-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) went head-to-head with the Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 58th match of the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024) on Thursday, May 9, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

Punjab Kings won the toss and chose to bowl first in the match. The bowlers failed to prove their captain's toss decision right and ended up conceding 241 runs. The bowlers were taken to the cleaners by Virat Kohli (92), Rajat Patidar (55) and Cameron Green (46). Harshal Patel was the top performer for the team as he picked up a three-wicket haul while Vidwath Kaverappa (2), Arshdeep Singh (1), and Sam Curran (1) were among the wickets.

Chasing the target, Rilee Rossouw (61) kept Punjab Kings in the match with his brilliant batting and he was well supported by Jonny Bairstow and Shashank Singh. However, once the trio got out, the Punjab Kings couldn't do much and got all-out for 181 to lose by 60 runs. With the loss, PBKS got knocked out of the competition.

Speaking after the match, dejected Sam Curran stated that they had a lot of positives in IPL 2024 but it wasn't enough to qualify for playoffs. Sam Curran said:

"A lot of positive signs throughout the season, but not enough to get over the line, unfortunately. We knew that we had the best side for the rest of the tournament and felt gutted for the team."

Sam Curran further said that he enjoyed leading the franchise in Shikhar Dhawan's absence and apologized to fans for disappointing them yet again. Sam Curran elaborated:

"Gotta keep our heads up, keep learning and keep becoming better. Really enjoyed leading a great bunch of guys, would have loved a few more wins. We had some highs, and some record run-chases as well. Lots of disappointment and apologies to the fans, we will keep fighting. The ups and downs have been quite tough, but you gotta keep learning and keep working hard."

Punjab Kings Had Lost Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru In Previous IPL 2024 Clash As Well

It was the 6th match of the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024) when Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings locked horns with each other for the first time in the Indian Premier League 2024. The match was held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 25 and after restricting PBKS to 176/6, RCB chased down the target to win by 4 wickets and 4 balls remaining.

Batting first in the match, Shikhar Dhawan played a slow yet significant knock of 45 runs and he was well-supported by Prabhsimran Singh (25), Sam Curran (23), Jitesh Sharma (27), and Shashank Singh (21 ). The combined batting efforts from PBKS saw the team posting a challenging total on the board. For RCB, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj bagged two wickets each while Yash Dayal and Alzarri Joseph picked up one wicket each.

Chasing the target, Virat Kohli played a stunning knock of 77 runs and took the game deep. However, other than him no top and middle-order batsman fired which put the team under tremendous pressure. In the end, Dinesh Karthik (28) and Mahipal Lomror (17) bailed the team out of trouble to power them to an incredible victory. For PBKS, Kagiso Rabada and Harpreet Brar bagged two wickets each while Sam Curran and Harshal Patel got one scalp.